Attachment for nailing machines



1,600,537 M. P. DAVEN ATTACHMENT FOR NAILING MACHINE S,

Sept. 21 1926,,

Filed August 29, 1925 BY I! Patented Sept. 2 1 1926 UNITED STATES,

PATENTIOFFICE,

MICHAEL P. DAVEN, OF- ST. LOUIS,-MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TOCHARiLES W. FVGAMPBELL' AND ONE-THIRD TO FRED P. WlCI-IARD, OEST. LOUIS,'MISSOURI.

ATTACHMENT FOR NAILING MACHINES.

A pplicationfiled August 29, 1925. SeriaLNo. 53,287.

This invention relates generally to im provements in nailing machines, and particularly to an attachment for an automatic nailing machine adapted to nail lids or covers on boxes and crates It is the practice in some manufacturing plants where goods are packed in boxes and crates, for instance, in packing'houses, to overfill said boxes and crates so that the con- I Q, tents thereof extend above the top edges of said boxes and crates. This practice renders it rather difficult to. nail the lids or covers in placeon said boxes and crates, this difficulty being feltparticularly in connection with the use of automatic nailing machines which, prior to this invention, were consid-' ered unfit for nailing hds or covers on over-' in place thereon, I have devisedthe attachment disclosed in the present application whichis adapted to be attached to an autostruction, combination and arrangement of parts'hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown thepreferred embodiment ofthe invention. However, it is to be understood'that the invention comprehen'ds changes, variations and modifications which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Fig. I is a side elevationshowing a portion of the"automaticnailing machine provided with my improved attachment.

Fig. II is a sectional detail taken through my improved attachment showing in cross section the portion of the nailing machine by which the attachment is supported.

Fig. III is a plan View of my improved attachment, portions of the supporting arms thereof being broken away to conserve space.

Fig. vIY is an inverted plan view of my improved attachment, in this view also the supporting arms being broken away.

Fig. V is a view similar to Fig. III, but showing the arrangement when a or covers on boxes and crates, saidmachine including a supporting frame 13 which is providedwith a work table C. Arranged above the work table G and adapted to move vertically with relation thereto is a plurality of heads D provided with downwardly movable nail-driving members (not shown). The nails are contained withinfa hopper (not shown), and said nails areconveyed from said hopper to said heads bymeans of a plurality of tubes E. In the operation of the machine briefly describedv above a box or crate is located on the work table C and the lid or coverof said box or crate isarranged in place thereon. The mechanism of'the nailing machine is then actuated, thus causfl ing the heads D to be moved downwardly and also causingnails, which have previous ly been located in the path of travel of the downwardly. movable nail driving members,

to be driven, through said lid or cover into the walls of the box or crate, whereby said lid or cover is secured in place on said box or crate.

The foregoing briefly describesthe operation of nailing the lids or covers on boxes or said strips are being secured in place on said box or crate, and to successfully nail saidlids in place with an automatic nailing machine it would be necessary for the operator to hold all ofthe bowed resilient strips maklVhen the boxes or crates are overing up the lid during the nailing operation. It was found that the number of strips, together with the resilient'nature of said strips, rendered the holding of all of said strips during the nailing operation a very difiicult feat, and for this reason automatic nailing machines have been very seldom used for nailing lids on overfilled boxes or crates.

The present invention contemplates a very simple attachment for a nailing machine by the use of which the resilient strips of wood which comprise the lid of a box or crate may be Very positively drawn into their proper positions when said box or crate is being located in place on the work table of the machine and held in such positions during the operation of nailing said strips to the body portion of the boxor crate.

The automatic nailing machine A illustrated in thedrawing is provided with a bar F which extends transversely of said. Illachine at the. front thereof, said bar being located immediately adjacent to the heads D and being provided with an inverted T- shaped'slot F which extends longitudinally of said bar from end toend thereof. Every automatic nailing machine of the type illustrated in I is provided with one of the bars F, said bars being the means for supporting the heads I), and I utilize this bar as the supporting means for my attachment, which will now be described.

I designates a plate which is arranged immediately above. the work table 0 of the nailing machine A, as shown in Fig. I, the longitudinal dimension of said plate being parallel with the forward face of the nailing machine and said plate being so arranged that is inclined from front tov back with respect to the work table C, with the forward edge of said plate in a higher plane than the're'armost edge thereof. The plate 1 is, supported by means of arms 2 which are. secured at ends thereof to saidv plate, as shown in Figs. III, IV and V, the ends of said arms 2 opposite to the ends thereof which. are secured to. the plate 1 being arranged, immediately above the bar F 3 designates bolts, one of which is, extended, through each individual arm 2 at the end thereofadjacent to the bar F. The bolts 3 are each provided with an enlarged head .portion 3, which is located within the enlarged portion of i the T-shaped slot F formed in the bar F, and each of said bolts includes a threaded shank portion which extends through an opening in the associated arm. 2. 4L designates. wing nuts which are screwed on the threaded shank portions of the bolts, 3 and; which are adapted, to bear against the top faces of the arms 2. From the foregoing it is plain that when the wing nuts. 4 are screwed tightly against the top faces of thearms 2 said arms will be securely fixed to the bar F, due to the fact that the enlarged head portions .3 of the bolts 3 will be drawn upwardly into firm frictional contact with the adjacent portions of the bar F, and the end portions of the arms 2 will be forced downwardly into firm frictional contact with the top face of said b'ar F.

As stated before in this specification, lids and covers of boxes and crates often comprise each merely a plurality of resilient strips of wood spaced apart from each other which extend longitudinally or transversely of the boX or crate, as shown in Fig. III and designated by the reference character 5. These strips of wood are entirely independent of each other, and it is important that said strips be properly spaced before they arenailed in place on the boxes'or crates.

I therefore arrange spacers 6 on the lower face of the plate 1, said spacers being adapted to function as guides which will properly position the strips of wood 5 prior to the nailing operation. The spacers 6 comprise each a block'of material which extends downwardly from the lower face of the plate 1, and said. block of material is provided with one or more bolts or similar fastening devices 7 which pass through openings 8 in the plate 1 and receive wing nuts 9, whereby said block of material is secured to said plate 1. The openings 8 in the plate 1 through which the bolts 7 pass are elon-. gated, as shown in Figs. III, IV and V, so that the spacers 6, may be adjusted longitudinally of the plate to provide for strips of wood of different widths. By referring to Figs. III and IV, which show plates provided with three spacers, it'w-ill be noted that the outer spacers are arranged so that their side faces are at an angle to the side. faces of the intermediate spacer. It will also be noted that the intermediate spacer-is provided with a pointed forward end portion. This arrangement is intended to pro vide for the proper and easy introduction of the strips of wood 5. between the spacers 6' and reduces the likelihood that said stripsof wood will abutagainst ends of the spacers 6 and be stopped thereby.

In Figs. III and, IV three spacers 6 are shown, while in F V four Spacers are through which the bolts 7 pass two addi tional elongated openings 8 are. illustrated. Vllhen the lid or cover being nailed is composed of two strips ofwood the bolts 7 associated with the spacers 6' are passed through the elongated openings'S, when said spacers will be arranged as shown in Figs. III and in Fig. V.

nailed is composed of three strips of wood, instead of having one spacer at the' approximate center of the plate 1, as shown in Figs. III and IV, a pair of intermediate spacers is employed and the bolts 7 associated with said intermediate spacers are extended through the elongated openings 8, as shown It is apparent, therefore, that the spacers 6 of my improved attachment are adjustable longitudinally of the plate 1 to provide for strips of wood ofdiflierent widths, and also said plate 1 is provided with elongated openings so located that a greater or less number of spacers may be employed to guide a greater or less number of strips of wood.

In the operation of an automatic nailing machine provided with my improved attachment, an overfilled box is located on the work table C of said nailing machine with an end of said box under the heads D. The strips of wood which compose the lid or cover of said box are then introduced under the plate 1 and between the spacers 6, and when the end portions of said strips of wood are properly positioned above the wall of the box to which they are to be secured, the nailing machine is actuated and said strips are nailed to said box. In the case of an overfilled box there is no difficulty in nailing the strips which compose the lid at one end only of the box, as the difficulty does not arise until the strips of wood have been nailed to the box at one end thereof and an attempt is made to nail the other ends of said strips to said box. hen the strips of wood are nailed to the overfilled box at one end thereof the intermediate portions of said strips rest on the upwardly projecting con tents of the box, thus causing the strips of wood to incline upwardly as suggested by dotted lines in Fig. I. Heretofore itwould be necessary for the operator of the automatic nailing machine to force the strips of wood downwardly with hishands until the ends thereof could be introduced beneath the heads I) of the nailing machine, and it would each other and hold them in their proper positions while the nailing operation was taking place. When the nailing machine is provid d with my improved attachment, however, it is only necessary for the operator to draw the box rearwardly on the work table C and reverse said box after the strips of wood have been nailedat one end of the box. The box is then moved inwardly on the work table toward the nailing mechanism, and as this movement takes place the loose ends of the upwardly inclined strips of wood will contact with the lower face of the plate 1, and as said movement of the box continues said strips of wood will be cammed downwardly until the ends thereof contact with the top edges of the wall of the box to which said strips of wood are to be nailed. When the strips of wood are positioned as described, the nailing mechanism is actuated and nails are driven through the strips of wood into the wall of-the box.

when the box is being moved inwardly on the work table C as already described, the strips of wood. of which the lid is composed pass between the spacers 6 whereby said strips of wood are properly spaced relative to each other. e V

VJhile I have described the spacers 6 as being intended for use particularly in spacing the strips of wood which compose the lid of abox, it is to be understood that said spacers may be used when the body portion of the box is being made to space the strips of wood when the walls of said body portion are composed of strips of wood spaced apart from each other.

I claim: I

1. An" attachment for a box-nailing ma chine having a work table, comprising amember arranged above said work table against which lids of boxes are moved to force said lids into contact with the body portions of the boxes during the operation of nailing said lids on said boxes, and spacers on said member adapted to space and position the stripsof material of which said lids are composed.

2. An attachment for a box-nailing machine'having a work 'table, comprising a member arranged above said work table against which lids of boxes .are moved to force said lids into contact with the body portions of the boxes during the operation of nailing said lids on said boxes, and

"spacers-on said member adapted to space andposition the strips of material of which said lids are composed, said spacers being adjustable relative to said member.

3. An attachment for a box-nailing machine having a work table, comprising an inclined plate arranged above said work table against which lids of boxes are moved to force said lids into contact with the body portions of the boxes during the operation of nailing said llClS, on said boxes, elongated I openings formed through said inclined plate,

spacers on said inclined plate, said spacers being provided with members adapted to be passed through said elongated openings whereby said spacers may be adjusted relative tosaid plate, and means whereby said spacers may be retained in fixed .positions' on said plate.

4. An attachment for a box-nailing machine having a work table, comprising an inclined plate arranged above said work table against which lids of boxes are moved to force said lids into contact with the body ity of openings formed through said plate,

a'plurality of spacers having members as- "sociated therewith adapted to be extended.

through. said openings, and means whereby stud. spacers are retained 1n fixed posltlons on said plate, said. spacers being so shaped and positioned that tapering. guideways are formed therebetweeninto which the strips 10 of material of which the lids: are composed-- are'introduced to properly space andposition said strips of material In testimony that I clainr the foregoingLI hereunto affix; my signature.

MIGHAEL. R. DAVEN- 

